Shloka 19
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry and Sañjaya’s Etymologies of Kṛṣṇa’s Names
Puruṣottama-nāma-nirvacana
इन्द्रियाणां यमे यत्तो भव राजन्नतन्द्रित: । बुद्धिश्च ते मा च्यवतु नियच्छैनां यतस्तत:,राजन्! आप आलस्य छोड़कर इन्द्रियोंके संयममें तत्पर हो जाइये और अपनी बुद्धिको जैसे भी सम्भव हो, नियन्त्रणमें रखिये, जिससे वह अपने लक्ष्यसे भ्रष्ट न हो
indriyāṇāṁ yame yatto bhava rājann atandritaḥ | buddhiś ca te mā cyavatu niyacchaināṁ yatas tataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, be vigilant and free from sloth; apply yourself to the restraint of the senses. And do not let your understanding slip from its aim—hold it in check by every means, so that it does not stray from the right course.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches disciplined vigilance: restrain the senses (indriya-nigraha) and keep the intellect steady on its proper aim, using every available means so that judgment does not deviate into negligence, passion, or error.
In the Udyoga Parva’s tense pre-war deliberations, Sañjaya addresses the king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra), urging him toward alert self-mastery—an ethical counsel meant to steady royal decision-making at a critical moment.